What You'll Need
- A shoebox or small cardboard box
- Aluminum foil (shiny side is the active side)
- Glue stick for securing the foil
- Broken crayon pieces with paper wrappers peeled off
- A dark-colored muffin tin or silicone candy molds
- Oven mitts for removal
How To Do It
- Build your solar oven — line the entire inside of the shoebox with aluminum foil, shiny side up, glued flat and smooth. The shinier and smoother, the hotter it gets.
- Prepare your crayons — peel the paper off broken pieces. Fill mold cavities about ¾ full. Dark molds absorb heat better and melt faster.
- Solar bake — place the mold inside the box. Set in direct sunlight and angle toward the sun. In Louisiana summer sun, wax begins to melt in 20–40 minutes. Check every 15 minutes.
- Cool and reveal — using oven mitts, bring the mold inside once fully liquid. Cool at room temperature (don't freeze — rapid cooling causes cracking). Pop out your new swirly crayons!
Safety Note
Melted wax is hot. Always use oven mitts for removal — adult supervision required. Never leave unattended.
Grandma Says
Spend extra time smoothing every bubble and crinkle out of the foil. It makes a real, measurable difference in how fast it works.